Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-02-03
JUBILEE OF SOULS
OR. TALMAGE DiSCOURSES TO
THE NEWLY CONVERTED.
They Want Shelter in the Grace
Of God and Christian
Associations.

BROOKLYN, Jan. 23-The Rev. T. De Witt
Talmage's sermon to-day was preached at the
reception Of three hundred and eight new
members, making the communicate member
ship of the Brooklyn Tabernacle three thou
sand six hundred and Any. 1t was day me-
morable in the history of this church. The
reverend doctors text was isaiah TX, 81:
'Who are these that fly as cloud, and as the
doves to their windowsl" He preached as fol-
lows
When God would set fast beautiful thought
| He plants 1t in tree; when He would put 1t
afloat He fashions 1t into a fish; when He
| would have 1t glide the air He moulds It into
| bird. There is 10 many OF us complete
fascination in the structure and habits OF birds.
The blackbird, floating like fake Of darkness
| though the sunlight; the meadow lark with
head of fawn, and throat OF velvet and breast
of gold; the red flaningo, flying over the
Southern swainps like sparks from the forge Of
the setting sun; the pelican, white and black
morning and night tangled in Its wings They
seem not more Of earth than heaven, ever
vacilating between the two. No wonder that
Audubon, with his gun, tramped through all
the American forests IN search Of new speci-
Il
the track Of birds claw In the new red sand
stone, There Is enough of Gods architecture
In snlpe's bill or grouse's foot to confound
all the universities.
Musicians have, with clefs and bars, tried TO
catch the sound of the nightingale aud the rob-
in. Among the first things child notices is a
swallow at the caves; and grandfather goes
out with a handful Of crumbs to feed the
y-blrds, The Bible is full or ornitholical
illusions. The birds of the Bible are not dead
and stuffed, like those of the museum, but
living birds, with hutterins wings and plum.
| age. Behold the fowls Of the air." says
Christ Though thou exalt thyself as the
| the stars, thence will / bring the down." ex.
| claims Obadiah, "Gavest thou the goodly
wings to the peacocks." says Job. David de
| scribes his desolation by saying: ~ am like
! a pelican Of the wilderness: | am like an owl
of the desert; watch, and am as sparrow
| upon the house-topn yea, the stork in the
heaven knoweth her appointed time; and the
| turtle and the crane and the swallow observe
the time OF their coming; but my people know
not the judgment of the Lord, " so saysJere-
miab. And in the text Isaiah looks ahead
and sees the gathering OF many people unto
Christ and the church, and 1t makes him
think Of flock Of pigeons alighting on their
COOP and all at once trying to get In at the
window of the coop, and lie cries out: "Who
| are these that fly as n cloud and as the doves
| to their windowsn
| This is one Of the memorable days OF the
| Brooklyn Tabernacle. On other Sundays we
| drop the net; to-day we haul II in. On other
| days we send out the invitations for kings
party; to-day we sit at the banquet. On other
| days we fight the battle; now we claim victory
| through our Lord Jesus Christ Ye who have
| toiled, and contributed. and prayed for the
| success OF this institution, take unto your
souls the grand satisfactions Of this hour.
! To you, o, men and women! Is fulfilled the
| promise: They that sow in tears shall reap in
| JOY" Wake up 0, Church of God! and
bring garlands and music, and let us celebrate
| our "haryest home"
Oh, this mercy of God lam told 1t Is an
ocean. Then place on 1t four swift sailing
crafts, with compass and charts, and choice
rigging and skillful navigators, and tell them
to launch away and discover for me this ocean.
| That craft puts out IN one direction and sails
! to the north; this to the south: this to the
| east; this to the west They crowd on all
one day come up the harbor Of Heaven, and l
shout to them from the beach: Have y on
found the shore!n And they answer: mo
shore to Gods mercyr' Swift angels, dis
| patched from the throne, attempt to go across
It. For million years they fly and fly, but
foot Of the throne and cry: No shorel No
shore to Gods mercyw Mercyi Mercyl /
sing 1t. preach it. pray it, Here | find a
man bound hand and foot to the devil, but
with one stroke Of the hammer Of Gods truth
| the chains fall of and he Is free forever. Mer
cy! Mercy! Mercy! There is no depth it cannot
iathom; there is no heigth 1t cannot scale;
there Is no infinity 1t cannot compass.
When persons apply for membership into any
society, the question Is asked: 'Who are they
and where do they come froml' and as this
multitude Of people to-day present themselves
for membership, 1t is right that we should
| ask: "Who are these that come as doves to
TO their windows!'' They are captives whose
chains have been broken; they are soldiers
who have enlisted for thirty years war;
| They are heirs of Heaven.
They come as doves to the windows, first,
because they fly low. The eagle darts up as II
to strike its beak into the sun. There are
birds that seem to dwell under the caves of
heaven; you see them as little specks against
the sky, SO far off that you cannot guess the
style Of their plumage or the shape Of
their bodies. They float far away that
u the hunters gun be discharged at them
they do not change their course. Not SO with
the doves or pigeons, they never take any
and alight on your fence and seem to dislike
great attitudes. So these souls who come to
Christ and to His church to-day, fly low,
They ask no great things; they seek an hum
| BILE place at the feet OF Christ They are not
ashamed to be called bcggars for mercy, they
are willing to get down on their knees, and to
crawl under the table, and to pick up the
crumbs Of gospel provision. There were days
when they were proud and punctilious and
memorable and pulled up; but not now. The
highest throne Of earth could not tempt Mary
away from the feet Of Jesus. Stoop, o par
doned soul II thou would'st enter heaven. A
high look and a proud heart God hates. Fly
low. 1t is q mercy that thou canst hy at all.
youthful wandering; the days OF manhood
transgressions; thy sins-dark, brooding
deathful-sins against thy soul, against thy
Bible, against thy God.
In one of the benevolent institutions Of
Europe where the destitute are provided for
the newcomers have their photographs taker
while In rags before they are washed, so tina
they may always have in the picture remind
er OF the degradation from which they wer'
lifted; so, in this book, God keeps before the,
| picture Of thy former restitution and rag
gcdness Of soul Fly low.
It's an offended God before whom thou contest
Thou deserveth his wrath. He scattered tn,
one hundred and cighty-fivc thousand Of Sen
; | nacherib's host In a night. He abhors sin
| He will Judge the nations. Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty. Fly low.
thousand years ago an emperor planted |
| rose bush from which roses are plucked to
, | day. At the foot Of the cross nearly nineteei
: centuries ago rose was planted which bloom
[ | to-day; stoop down, II thou would'st pluck it
| o for more OF the chidlike spirit! rejoice II
the belief that those who come to Christ to
Q day, come aware of their sins aud their wants
and have learned how to fy low.
Again: These persons who come to-day ar
like doves on their way to the dove cot, be
n cause they fly for shelter The albatross make
:, a throne of the tempest; the sea-gulls fine
l their grandest frolic IN the storm-their mer
I riest hour seems to be that In which the sur
Of the sea piles most high. Not so with doves
l. at the first blow Of the northearster they fly b
e the COOP Eagle contends with eagle In mi,
. air, and Vlture fights vulture on the bosom o
{ | the carcass, but doves at the first dash Of tn
: bird OF prey, speed for shelter from fiery ey
i and iron beak and loathsome talon. So to-da
9 these souls come here for shelter Every on
s has besetting sin; that sin is always afte
r | you. The robber watches you when you COM
! out Of the bank, sees in what pocket you pu
: the money, follows you down the street. nc
y tices where you go to dine, where you sleeI
o and what kind Of lock you have on you
?. door; so there is some sin ever on a man
a track. 1t goes with him to the store, ii sits o.
:" the money-safe, it looks over his shoulde
l. while he makes out the bill of lading, IL goe
e out with him to dine, 1t walks home with hiT
q at night AS TO some dog that you do not wan
n to follow you but persists, you say TO IT.: "Bac
y bone with your You stone IL away and star
u on After a while, casually turning your eye
ID you find it close after you with a sIeakin
iAAalr -. H.